The Bell Inquisitor
by Lyxine
Summary: (This story follows Lkcsi's headcanons) The Tower of Fate was just unsealed and the Enchantress had just sent Specter Knight on his first errand when an unexpected character defies the Enchantress and loses, now cursed to slowly become a monster. Racing against time, will they be able to reach the Temple in time, in order to escape from their Fate? (Finished)
1. Nobody expects the Bell Inquisition!

**That's my first story written in English! I hope you'll enjoy it!**

 **Warning: This fanfiction isn't following the canon added by Specter of Torment. I'm just following the headcanons from Lkcsi' "S is for Shovel and K is for Knight" This is a separate piece of fiction (maybe an AU?) concerning an OC that I created. Also, go read the original fanfiction because it's great. Really.**

 **If you've already did that, well, let's go!**

* * *

 **Nobody expects the Bell Inquisition!**

The Tower of Fate had just been unsealed. The Enchantress had already sent Specter Knight to fetch Black Knight, a fierce warrior but also an active mage full of potential. Black magic users were so few nowadays, and the addition of this small member of the Order of Shovelry would truly be something for her army. Specter Knight was also a mage when he was alive, but he was only a recessive mage, with a limited potential… Sitting at the window, she smiled. Soon, this place, and then the world, would be hers. And even if the soul of Shield Knight was still putting up a fight, it wouldn't last long. She would just exhaust her strength.

*CRASH*

The Enchantress jolted out of her thoughts when she heard the sound of the door being crushed by an immense force, only to see a bright red form enter the room, followed by the faint ringing of a bell.

"Haha! I managed to find you Enchantress!"

Slowly floating to the ground level, she observed the unexpected visitor. Entirely dressed in red,with a very large hat that hid a helmet, and a high collared shawl that hid the bottom of their face and the rest of the strange… Red robe they were wearing? The stranger lifted their weapon, the shining silver briefly blinding the Enchantress.

"And who might you be trespasser? I wasn't expecting anyone-"

"Nobody expects the Bell Inquisition! I'm going to strike you down you fiendish creature, and Pridemoor will be safe before you even begin anything!"

"Oh? And what's keeping me from mind-controlling you or make you swear your loyalty to me?"

"Because I am no knight, and trained to resist to all sorts of dark magic! With the strength of my holy silver Bellhammer, I, the Bell Inquisitor, will strike you down!"

The Inquisitor charged, waving their Bellhammer with strength towards the Enchantress. Dodging the attack, she looked at the strange person, before unleashing a barrier of fireballs and gliding around, dodging the runed bell strikes. As a one-handed weapon, it was fast and heavy enough to leave visible traces of impact on the walls. Besides, the Bell Inquisitor was certainly skilled with their relic weapon, as the sounds they produced and their techniques were able to repel her projectiles, and send soundwaves towards her.

"You're quite skilled for a mere essenceless fighter. What is it that you seek Bell Inquisitor? Fame? Glory? Power?"

"I'm searching for nothing but to cleanse the world of evil!"

The fight went on, fireballs clashing against soundwaves, and with the Inquisitor madly jumping around, trying to strike the Enchantress with their bellhammer, the sound of it echoing through the Tower.

That's when she realized that they had touched her. The tip of the bell had touched her hand, leaving a small bruise, but still, it reached her. She smiled. No one without some essence or magical power had already managed to touch her in a fair fight. But if the so-called Bell Inquisitor had managed to touch her, they proved to be a potential threat. But the potential was there.

"Get down you fiend!"

"I think that's enough playing around."

She could imagine the brows of her opponent frown behind their mask and collar. Well, she wasn't really playing around with them, but at least, they were a very entertaining opponent. That was too bad that their mind was actually trained against mental attacks, and with the runed Bellhammer around, it was even more difficult to reach them. But it didn't mattered now.

The floor collapsed under the Inquisitor's feet, and without anything to hold on, they fell to the bottom of the room.

"Argh! By the Gods that hurts!"

Shaking themselves out of their stunned state, weapon still in hand, they got up on their feet and looked around, searching for their foe. They could still fight despite the fall.

"You really are an entertaining thing… To hold your ground so long against me in a one on one loyal fight, it's truly a first."

"And it will the last time because I'll strike you down!"

"You're doing the wrong choice. But since you entertained me, I'm willing to reward you with a little something."

The Enchantress appeared quietly behind the Inquisitor, and cast a spell on them. The red fighter turned around in the nick of time and blocked the spell with their left arm, but still groaned under the pain. A fireball struck them, and threw them to the ground, panting heavily.

"You… Vile… Sorceress… I'll-"

"Is that how you thank me for my gift to you? Look at you! I granted you power, something to unlock your potential. Stay with me and pledge me allegiance, and I'll make sure that you won't have to suffer much during your… Evolution."

"What are you talking about?"

The Bell Inquisitor looked at their left hand, the burning sensation not seeming to leave. They bit back a horrified scream when they saw a beastly claw replacing their hand, with a solid silver shell forming around the wrist.

"What… WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

"I gifted you with a slow transformation curse. And I even slowed the process a bit more, so you can retain your humanity a bit longer. You have… One month and a half from now on."

"What?! I'm… I see then."

Before the Bell Inquisitor could strike, the Enchantress vanished, and a door leading out of the Tower opened. Gritting their teeth behind their very high collar, they clenched their right hand around the weapon, whispering.

"I'm going to show you… I'll free myself from your damned curse and come again to strike you down… I swear it."

* * *

 **And that's it for the introduction! Know that I've already written everything and that this is going to be a short story. Don't forget to leave a review, it's still important for us authors!**


	2. The Forest

**Chapter 2: The forest**

2 days after cursing; 43 days left

The Bell Inquisitor, looked at the map and then at the forest in front of them. That was the one. They needed to hurry and cross the place, and then, they would have to pass through the southern plains. After that, they would follow the river to the Lakes, before finally getting to the Temple, right before the Dark Swamp. They folded the map and grabbed their hammer, while looking at their newly formed left claw. To use that could be considered as impure, but they didn't really have a choice. Some places were dangerous on the way, and they couldn't allow themselves to die. If they died, they would either fail, or worse, come back as an undead and be forced into knighthood by their foe, if they were even allowed to come back to life with a soul! Readying themselves, they stepped into the forest, ready to face any foe that would come across. The Bellhammer would strike down anything that would slow them in this race against time.

They didn't want to waste time by following the main path, but this choice had a cost. As soon as they went in the undergrowth part, wild beasts attacked them, but they were no match for their skills. After all, they knew a lot of shortcuts through that forest, where they spent a lot of time in order to learn more about the Echoes, these magical techniques of bellringing known to fight evil. But despite their efforts, they were only able to learn the two basics Echoes, the other melodies either very well guarded by the Temple's priests or lost in the wild since the Profanator, the legendary assassin, preferred to tear the pages of a copy of the Bellringing scriptures rather than being caught with his loot. And that's why the Bell Inquisitor settled here temporarily, to find one of the Scriptures and learn a new Echo, but despite their search, they never managed to find the page, now surely lost to time.

The ruffling of a nearby bush got them out of their nostalgic thoughts, and they turned towards the sound. Adopting an offensive stance and readying their weapon, they were ready to strike whatever was coming at them. After all, there weren't many people who were willingly straying out of the main road and sneak up on the nearest human being.

The Alpha Beast jumped out of it's hiding place, the sharp claws clashing against the silver grip of the weapon, and holding it tight, avoiding any counterattack. The Inquisitor's eyes widened with surprise, and slashed the face of their opponent with sharp claws, making it let go of the Bellhammer. Not used to face such resistance, the Beast lashed out, trying it's best to kill it's future dinner. The stench of blood rising in the air made the giant feline even more starved, but it didn't have the occasion to bite the prey, the sound of the Bellhammer breaking it's jaw being loud enough to be heard across the entire forest. The red bellringer didn't wait for the Alpha Beast to recover and continued to strike and slash, trying their best to survive.

That cursed left hand was truly a powerful weapon indeed when given to the right person. At the first try, they were able to win a fight with it against a real threat. The Enchantress smiled at the sight of the so-called Bell Inquisitor tearing apart the flesh of their opponent. Gruesome and brutal and yet, their clothes still looked the same. Red truly was a very useful color for killers. And her newfound source of entertainment proved to be worthy of a small reward. After all, they did the first step.

" _Congratulations for that first kill. It must really feel good to let the beast in you out don't you think little Bell?"_

The whispers in their head stopped them, the silver claw stained with the blood of their kill. Horrified, they almost dropped their weapon, and turned around, yelling at the sky.

"Shut up! Get out of my head!"

" _Oh, and just when I thought that you were accepting your gift of monsterhood… But I want to reward you with a little… Something."_

"If it's an another one of your tricks, I'll-"

The sheet of paper crashed on their face, interrupting their ramblings. Curious, and still under the shock of having enjoyed killing and getting mentally contacted by the very enemy they tried to kill, they simply read the paper. Runes and ancient words adorned the page, the past mixing with the present.

They were holding one the Bellringing scriptures, the torn page of the Profanator's loot. Why was she giving it to them? Why give her very enemy the power they needed to defeat her? Did that meant that she somehow gathered the pages?

"This heresy won't be allowed once I'm freed from your damned curse Enchantress!"

" _We'll see, little Bellringer. We'll see…"_

And soon, they were alone with their thoughts, the cold corpse of the Alpha Beast lying at their feet in a pool of blood. These giant felines were a rare sight, but they were known to be reckless hunters and more than one fell to these fearsome beasts. They were lucky that they made it alive and unscathed… Or was it their cursed limb? Shaking their head, the Bell Inquisitor wiped the blood of the Bellhammer before continuing through the forest. They couldn't afford to lose time. They had to reach the Temple before it was too late.

3 days after cursing; 42 days left

Making their way through the rest of the forest wasn't as difficult as they thought. Their newly learned Echo, Holiness, was efficient enough to heal minor wounds. They were still wondering why the Enchantress was willing to give them the very techniques that banished the Fate long ago, and that would surely banish it once more once they were cured from their current state… The claw had mutated a bit more after the kill, their fingers fusing together and forming two longer and sharper claws. Only their thumb was "saved" from fusion, except that this part of their body had to mutate too, growing longer, and taking a more beastly aspect. Of course, they had to admit that it was actually useful when fighting. There seemed to be a lot of beasts and monsters after them lately, and they were sure that the Enchantress was greatly, if not totally, responsible of this. But why? Why was she doing it with them? Was she already tired of the puppet that was Specter Knight? And of course, they had studied enough of the Old Inquisition's scrolls to know how bad this situation was. They were lucky to not have been immediately turned into a beast at her service, but there were only four ends to this: die, die and be reborn as an undead creature with great chances of losing his soul and will, be cleansed or turn into a monster or worse, a Sentient. This ending made them shiver. Sentients were unnatural monsters, great and powerful beasts with a conscience, and mind. The Old Inquisition described each one as unique and powerful, heresies so powerful that they were only used for one purpose: annihilation.

The Bell Inquisitor was leaving an unpleasant trail behind them. Many monsters corpses littered the ground after each attack, and it wouldn't be long before someone would find these and track them down. But they couldn't afford to lose time. They needed to be cured, for the greater good, even if that meant leaving behind them a bloody trail, the crimson liquid blending on their outfit.


	3. The Southern Plains

**I'm too lazy to update this fix every week, so this means that I'm going to publish every chapter tonight. Please leave me a review concerning your thoughts about it and if I made any errors, please tell it to me. English isn't my first language.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: The Southern plains**

8 days after cursing, 37 days left

The Bellringer let out a cry when the bones of their left arm suddenly snapped and rearranged themselves slowly. Lying on the ground and unable to move, they were only able to let out faint, pained cries. The curse had reached the elbow, but the snapping and creaking sounds told them otherwise. The fabric of their robe was torn by the growth of scales and spikes, along with a part of their shawl. They tried to reach with their good hand for their weapon, but were unable to do so when an another loud crack was heard. This time, it was their shoulder. Horrified, the Inquisitor saw the articulation twist itself, furthering from humanity. They shut their eyes when they saw the spikes grow quickly, accentuating their already beastly appearance. And then, it was over.

" _What do you think about my gift to you? Doesn't that feel good to change into something greater?"_

"Hnnngh… Shut… Up…"

" _Oh? You're still able to answer me? That's… Interesting."_

"I won't… Let you… Mess with my mind…"

" _But I have all my time. You're currently unconscious and someone found you, yelling in your sleep. You're not alone, but beware, they might think you're crazy."_

* * *

The surprise woke them up, yelling, before hitting the floor face first. Their body was binded by solid ropes, especially their cursed arm, and they almost lost their precious hat during their fall. They let out a sigh of relief when they still felt their steel mask on and their collar, still up and covering their face up to their eyes. At least, nobody had seen their face. Good. At least, they wouldn't have any bounty on their head, and this would be better to not have any for when they would be cured. Trying their best to get on their knees with their arms binded behind their back, they managed to roll and find a somehow more decent position than when they awakened.

"You're awake as I see."

The Inquisitor turned their head towards the voice and saw a large man holding their precious silver Bellhammer. Gritting their teeth from behind their collar, they just wanted to smack the man with it. How did he dared to lean so casually on this precious relic weapon?! It took an enormous amount of time and effort to finally obtain something like that! It was the only working Bellhammer in Pridemoor and the Southern Lands! People should give more respect to the possessions of others!

"So, you're the Cursed One from the rumors. And despite your condition, you're still able to fight?"

"I'm feeling perfectly fine now, thank you. Now, if you would be kind enough to let me go-"

"And why should I let you go? After all, you're a threat to everyone with your… Arm. And seriously, what kind of Knight are you? I've never heard of any Bell Knight or Bellringing Order."

"I'm no Knight. I'm just the Bell Inquisitor."

"Inquisitor? Never heard of you."

"Well, nobody expects the Bell Inquisition after all. Now, if you would kindly remove these ropes, give me back my Bellhammer and let me go, it would be the best thing for us to do."

"Why should I trust you?"

"I'm trying to find a cure to my… Condition. My time is limited, and I know that if I don't make it to the Temple in time, I'll become a monster, or die. This is my only chance to make it."

The man rose from his seat, and unsheated his sword, closing the distance between him and the Bellringer. Now that he was closer, the Inquisitor was able to see more of the man's face. A scruffy beard, dirty hair, and the beginnings of old age on his face. The "old man" put the tip of his sword on their throat, and simply asked:

"And what if I kill you now?"

"Do… Do you really wish to have a monster now?! If I die now, I could be brought back to life as an heretic, and maybe soulless Undead! And you know how Undead creatures are dangerous!"

Their voice was shaking. They didn't wished to die now, while there was still a chance. They couldn't afford to lose time anymore, the curse slowly making progress. They were trying their best to use his claw in order to cut the ropes around their good arm, but the limb was so tightly binded that they couldn't even move it. They looked at the blade, and waited. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the other man relaxed and lowered his weapon.

"Where is that Temple of yours? Is it the one at the border of the Swamps that is supposed to be a place of healing and all that religious thing?"

"That's not very respectful to describe this holy Temple like that, but yes, this is where I'm going."

"It's a three weeks trip from here…"

"That's not a problem, I have 37 days still left. It's not the fact that I passed out a couple of hours that I can't make it."

"Because you think you passed out for a couple of hours? You slept for 2 days when I found you!"

"Wait, WHAT?! And what are you doing here at interrogating me?!"

"Whoa! Easy Bell guy!"

"I'M TURNING INTO A BEAST AND YOU JUST SIT HERE READY TO KILL ME AND INTERROGATE ME?! ARE YOU REALLY THAT SUICIDAL?!"

"Will you calm down?! I'm going to cut your ropes and let you go, but only at night. After all, I'm the one who dragged you to my house… And the village would probably freak out if you just get out like that Bell no-Knight."

"As you say old man. And I'm not a Bell no-knight. I'm the Bell Inquisitor. My purpose is to cleanse the world from evil and heresies that threaten the Rules of Nature."

The "old man" cut the ropes, and let the Inquisitor stretch themselves, watching with a mix of fear and fascination, the cursed limb. However, he was cut from his observation when the red clad stranger fetched their Bellhammer, and began to inspect each angle of it. They were truly someone who cared about the weapon…

"So. I only have 35 days left, and if I'm getting out of here at night, it'll make 34. This is going to be tough. The Plains are vast and with all of the things the Fate is throwing at me…"

"Hum, Bell Inquisitor? I have the rest of your possessions here. If you would take these back…"

"Oh yes, thank you very much."

The old man let go of the Inquisitor's meager possessions quickly, as if afraid that touching it longer would curse him too. The sooner this stranger was out of his house, the better he'd be. And if they happened to turn into a beast on the way, at least they would be far from here. It would be other people's problem.

Thankfully, the Sun was already setting, and it would only be a matter of hours before he would get rid of the Cursed One from the rumors. After all, they slaughtered two packs of monsters and came out unscathed according to the local hunters.

* * *

Night of the 10th day; 35 days left

Once they were out of the village's gates, the Bell Inquisitor ran as fast as they could, hoping to get as far as possible from the place. They had profusely thanked the old man for giving them the directions to the Temple as well as some provisions. They were still wondering if it was out of compassion or out of fear. After all, this wretched appearance was already enough to scare off people, and here, they were just stuck with words. After all, they were the only Inquisitor. The only one who actually learnt Echoes and knew how to use them. The only one to follow the old beliefs of the Southern Lakes. Of course, there were the Temple's priests too, but they just focused on healing and praying to the Yacht gods more than anything else these days. Not that they thought that it wasn't enough, but they wanted to act more. There were many advantages concerning knighthood, but the power of the Essence also had some negative aspects that they couldn't possibly have to deal with… And they didn't wanted to be a mercenary too. The south already had plenty of them. Moreover, their weapon weren't efficient enough against an unnatural threat, and since active mages were a rare thing, they searched for the blueprints of the old Bellhammers of the Old Inquisition, and restored one to it's former glory. They would be cured and accomplish their duty. They would not be submitted as easily as a Knight! After all, they were devoid of any Essence.

* * *

17th day; 28 days left

The Bell Inquisitor looked at the map, and the village down the had to avoid the place at all costs, or someone could be hurt in the process. The Enchantress' constant "chatter" was more than annoying at this point, and she apparently loved to do that when they were fighting a pack of monsters or beasts that she sent them.

" _I never saw your face, but I must imagine that you could be quite a handsome man… Or woman? Why are you so shy? And why am I unable to determine your gender?"_

"I don't even know why you're speaking such nonsense. Aren't you supposed to plot something or trying to play with your puppet Specter Knight?"

" _I always wanted to see how much the South had changed. After all, I was the one who fought the original Inquisition."_

"So, am I speaking to the Fate itself? As if I didn't already knew that… I did my homework before coming you know?"

" _And I was trying to surprise you… You're an annoying distraction little Bellringer. I can't access to the depths of your mind, I can just reach you."_

"That doesn't mean that you have to constantly talk to me at the most unexpected and inconvenient times! Seriously, do you even know how it feels to have someone else in your head?"

" _My, yes of course! I'm offended by your words… And I understand why you couldn't become a Knight! You're so rude with ladies!"_

"If I'm taking the right path I'm going to gain at least three hours…"

" _And now you're ignoring me…"_

" _... 'sn't… me…"_

"Huh? Someone there?"

" _Oh, it seems that there's something I have to take care of. And take the right path and I'll be giving you an Echo."_

"Yeah, yeah. I couldn't take left anyway, so I'm betting that there's a poisoned gift on the way… Alright… You know what, I hate you."

" _And I love you little Bell."_

The mental connection stopped, and the Inquisitor shrugged. To be loved by twisted black magic, that was some nightmare fuel for them! Folding the map, they began to run down the hill, trying their best to not lose any time. They were near the end of the Southern plains, but the Lakes' region was far bigger than the Plains, and would prove to be much harder to cross. Many paths were narrow, the dense trees and vegetation hid natural traps such as quicksands or hidden ponds where it was easy to drown. They couldn't afford to rent a boat because of their appearance, and to reach the Temple, they'd have to deal with many issues. They sighed. Once they were freed, they swore that they would give this fiend a taste of the holy Bellhamer's power…

* * *

"I hate you."

The Inquisitor was panting heavily, their claw and weapon once again drenched in blood. They had just slaughtered an another abomination sent by the Enchantress in exchange for the Echo… The fight against this massive centipede forced them to get closer to a monster's behavior, by leaping in the air and trying to rip apart the legs and shell of his opponent; the thing being too tough to break with his weapon. Because of that, they would only gain two hours, and the corpse would quickly make of them a wanted person. Ringing the Bellhammer smoothly, they felt a bit better when the healing golden light of the Holiness Echo made a part of their exhaustion go, and closed the minor wounds they sustained during the fight.

" _I see that you succeeded. Very well, I'll respect my part of the deal."_

"I hate you sooo much..."

The page flew right in their face, like the last time. Groaning, they looked at what she sent them… And after reading the first runes, they yelled at the sky. She just gave him the Holy Armor Echo! One of the most sacred ones, and the one that is able to protect someone from being cursed! Quickly reading the runes, they continued their path, their back itching, and completely alone with their thoughts.

"You wretched demon… If you try to talk to me once more, you'll hear me out!"

18th day; 27 days left

This time, they didn't passed out… But was it better when they felt the wings sprout from their back, feeling the bones blending together and rearranging themselves, while new skin grew, adding nerves and blood vessels. Their cries of pain were louder now, closer from the ones of a beast than of a human being. When it was over, they looked at their body. The shawl was gone, the only thing remaining being their high collar, and a part of their robe was torn in the back. But they were happy that it was only minimal, the holes being created when the main articulation grew, thus letting them be a bit more decent. The curse must have reached their back, and now, it was slowly creeping up to his heart. They knew that once it reached there, it was over. The heart reaches everything, and thus, if the curse reaches there, it'll too, reach everything and consume them.

They tried to fly with these still undefined wings, but they weren't able to glide or even have enough strength to fight against gravity's pull. The thing was that these wings were simply too small, and that their body wasn't made to fly. They were only able to take off, creating a strong gust of wind, but nothing more; or maybe reach higher place by beating their wings. But it was impossible to fly. They couldn't gain time by simply flying above the Lakes. They'd have to be even more cautious now… They began to felt the desire to howl, and their own inhuman sounds gave them a desire to tear their adversaries to shreds, and to feel their blood on their claw.

They were truly beginning to lose it now. If they wanted to stay sane, they decided to avoid to hunt for meat and were now stuck to consume what was left of their bread and the berries and herbs they would find on the road.

* * *

20th day; 25 days left

" _My, my. Look at you, you're really becoming stronger…"_

"You! You perverted demon! I'm going to tear you apart once I'm free from this!"

" _Yes, yes, you already said that a ton of times."_

"What did you exactly cast on me?!"

" _I told you. A transformation curse. You already know everything about that right?"_

"But why did you delayed the outcome? Normally, I'd have already lost it by now!"

" _Yes, but it wasn't satisfying to just see you become a fully sentient monster or die after 20 days… I want to give you more time, more… Opportunities."_

"Does that meant that you willingly gave me a chance to be cured? But why?"

" _I thought you had already found out why… Well, that makes you even more interesting now."_

"And why are you so fond of me by the way?"

" _You entertained me, and I told you, you have a great potential. I'm just helping you to unlock it."_

"I think we have very different views on the ways to unlock a potential…"

The Enchantress withdrew herself from their mind, grinning. She knew that this fool of an Inquisitor would never make it in time, not if she had a part in it. She had to afflict them with such a long transformation if she wished them to be as she wanted. Specter Knight had already recruited Tinker Knight and Plague Knight now. She had enough time to prepare everything for when the Inquisitor would come again. The Fate had already decided of what would happen to them anyway. They could fight against it all they wanted, but they would never be able to avoid it.


	4. The Lakes

**Chapter 4: The Lakes**

22th day; 23 days left

This was it. The Lakes' region, located at the south of the Plains, the last civilized region of the South before the Dark Swamp, an ancient place where the original Inquisitors and priests waged a war against a terrible demon, making of the place a living hell. Nobody could ever live there again, and a great part of the ancient southern people's culture was lost to time, except for the priesthood. The Inquisition was long gone by now. They were the last one to follow their ideals and to actually wield their weapon… They just revived the cult by themselves. In a way, they were the Inquisition now. They knew that the priests from the Temple never gave them the right to learn more than the basic Echoes, fearing that they would use these power for evil, and they had accepted it, saying that they would be coming back to learn more if they needed to, or had the time to. Sadly, when they heard about the rise of the Enchantress, they couldn't lose time to go back to the Temple and beg for the Scriptures.

They almost wanted to laugh. What happened was partly their fault. They weren't strong enough, but still rushed into battle, because they didn't wanted to give to the Enchantress the time to rise an another Order, as she always did by the past, according to the ancient books. They were always rushing nowadays, and that was the irony of his situation now that made them laugh. They promised themselves to catch a nice break once this problem was dealt with…

* * *

Night of the 30th day; 15 days left

The screams woke the Inquisitor up quickly. They had just decided to take a quick nap, trying their best to hide from sight and taking the long and dangerous path through the forest, the water and beasts being the main dangers… However, if people were in trouble because of a monster, it could be their fault! After all, the Enchantress never stopped sending them monsters in order to make them loose time. Every time they were able to win, but it cost them precious hours of daylight, so precious for a lone traveller. Clutching their Bellhammer, they quickly approached the origin of the screams…

The monster was huge, but they knew that it wasn't a Sentient, but it could have been the descendant of the one called the Chrome Spider. When they heard the screams of children and women, and saw that the men were unarmed, they rushed head on into battle. Taking off then diving on the spider's head, they planted their claw in it's eyes, or whatever squishy and fleshy part it actually was, and proceeded to bash it's head with their Bellhammer, each strike echoing in the forest. Their opponent managed to knock them off it's head, and the self-proclaimed Inquisitor immediately got up to it's feet, yelling to the others to run. They weren't able to hear their footsteps when they howled, feeling themselves becoming bloodthirsty. Their fist clenched around the hilt of the weapon, and they deflected the projectiles that were aimed at them, managing to send them back to the sender. The spider hissed and tried to close the distance, only to have one of it's big legs sliced like butter by the cursed limb. It tried to rise once more, but the Cursed One rose into the air and sent a powerful sound wave on it's shell, and then shattering it when they struck it with the silver weapon. In the end, the smaller beast had won, their outfit now wet with the translucid blood of the giant spider they fought to death.

They heard footsteps nearby. Quickly shaking the blood off their weapon, they ran away. They didn't wanted to be attacked or seen by anyone. Not like this. Fear could lead to a conflict, that they really didn't have the time time to deal with now. They were exhausted, dirty and just wanted to get done with it. They had once more slayed a giant monster, this time to save people… Smiling faintly at this, they were relieved that they didn't lost it at all and were still human inside.

" _It seems that slaying other things truly brings you joy."_

The Inquisitor didn't stopped to run when they heard the Enchantress' voice in their head once more. They were kind of used to it now, and as annoying and frustrating as it was, they had learnt to stay focused on what they were doing and saying, rather than giving their full attention to his enemy. But they would never admit that hearing a human voice and having a conversation was somehow soothing. After all, they spent so much time alone that they thought they could lose the use of their voice by staying silent all the time.

"Well, I'm just doing my duty as a slayer of heresies."

" _Well, I should give you a little something to reward you for your kill. This was quite bold to rush like that into battle, barely awakened, to save these people you're trying so much to avoid."_

"I trust that a part of you still approves that move. And after all, even if I'm no Knight, I also considers that my duty is to protect the ones that are defenseless. After all, I'm human, and to be human also means that we're able to feel compassion and that we would try to protect each other."

" _I'd never believed that you could say such wise words for human standards. Or maybe you're just being a fool, like always."_

"Heh. And that fool's hope and determination will prove to be your downfall."

The Enchantress' laugh disappeared from their head, but they continued to run and sometimes "fly" to avoid the ponds and traps, while escaping from the people they had just saved. They couldn't be seen like that. And since they were up now, why not make up for the time they lost by killing this spider and continue to move forward? After all, they still had to walk two days in order to reach the biggest lake of the region, the Mirall. And since they wouldn't be able to sail on it, they would have to take the long way. It was dangerous, since many beasts lurked into the shadows of the forest and many of them were drinking here. Moreover, their outfit would only highlight them as a potential meal… They only hoped that their own beastly appearance could save them. That was the only use they found to it now outside of battle.

* * *

35th day; 10 days left

The Mirall was truly a wonder. They might have spent several years of their life here, but each time they gazed at the pure, undisturbed surface of the water, they couldn't hold back their admiration. This was the kind of things they wanted to protect. If the balance between the forces of nature was disturbed, it always meant trouble. It was the same with Light and Darkness. If one side was perverted, it was their duty to put the things back in place, in order to maintain the balance. That was the "New Inquisition's" way.

A sheet of paper once again fell on their face, and the Inquisitor slightly grinned at the new "gift" of the Enchantress. The Echo of the Saint's might… The one who wrote this scripture possessed such a will, that even the biggest beasts could flinch when he rung his Bellhammer. Slowing their pace while reading, they memorized the runes and promised themselves to try it as soon as they could. When they tried it alone, it was just making a loud noise that silenced the nature around them for several minutes.

Well, if they wanted to calm an assembly, it could be useful.

* * *

39th day; 6 days left

The Inquisitor rung the Bellhammer slowly, letting the healing effect of the Holiness Echo last longer. They were using their claw and wings more these days because of the monsters' attacks, way numerous than before. Was the Enchantress scared that they were indeed able to fight against the Fate, and was trying to slow them down?

' _Sorry, but I'm going to make it. And the next time we'll meet at the Tower, I'm going to be more powerful than ever!'_

Barely looking at the monster rushing at them, they swung the hammer down, snapping it's neck. Turning around, they grabbed another one with their claw and slammed it on a tree, and continued their flurry of attacks. Most of the blows were absorbed by the Holy Armor Echo, and their Howl somehow gave them more strength and stamina. The adrenaline was rushing through their body, and they didn't felt themselves change even further during the fight. Their mind was focused on one thing: defeat the enemies. After all, if they didn't, who would? They didn't felt pain when spiked, ominous horns grew on their head, piercing the hat; and didn't felt their teeth turn into small fangs.

The Inquisitor strapped the weapon to their back, and just decided to take down the last monster of the pack, an enormous snake, with only their claw and wings. The fight was vicious, and the Cursed One leaped, slashed, but exhaustion quickly creeped up, and they had to take the weapon in hand once more. The snake hissed, and went for their head. The Echo of the Saint's Might stopped it, making it flinch for a second, but that was enough. A soundwave crashed onto it's skull, and another one followed. The Bellringer took off, the gust of wind keeping the snake on a defensive stance, then smashed their Bellhammer with all of their might on the snake's head, killing it on the spot.

" _I can only admire your prowess with these new powers Bell… I wasn't wrong when I chose to curse you."_

The Inquisitor was too exhausted to answer, leaning on their weapon for support. They blankly touched their horns, still shocked by what they just did. This was the biggest pack they ever fought, and it was the hardest fight they ever won. Their magic was out, and they would have to wait in order to recover some for at least being able to use the Holiness Echo. They might have won, but they didn't made it unscathed. Shaking the blood off their weapon, they slowly walked away, trying to find a place where they could rest, far from the victims of his rampage. When they finally found a place that seemed safe, they sat below the trees, between the roots and leaned their back against the trunk, closing their eyes. They could rest a little, right?

The Enchantress was disappointed concerning the lack of response coming from her distraction. She just let the last Scripture's page fall on their face like always, but this didn't woke them up.

* * *

41th day; 4 days left

The Inquisitor smiled. They were beginning to see traces of civilization, a sign that shown that they were almost done with their trip around the Mirall. The Temple and it's priests could finally free them from that curse before it was too late, and then, they could return to the Tower of Fate. The only problem would be to actually access to the Temple, their beastly appearance automatically making of them a target for the people. Hiding their wings could be possible if them folded them in the right way, but their horns were the problem now. If only they didn't lost time with this stupid incident in the plains and these packs of monsters! Now they had to travel by night, and since it was spring, daytime was getting longer. So they waited until the Moon rose in the sky, and only the noises of nature were present. Then they moved quickly into the empty streets, and the only night guards present only thought that it was a shadow, rushing through the village. They knew the place, and remembered the time when they spent nights at the library, trying to decipher the runic language and the various maps of the other regions.

They had 4 days left. 3 nights. And two villages to go through in order to reach the Temple. It would be tough, but it was possible. They could make it. They knew it. They would return to the Tower, and face the Enchantress once more.

* * *

43th day; 2 days left

They were finally there. Standing before them was the Temple. They made it in time, to the place they called "home" before they began travelling. It was where they learnt about the Old Inquisition, and their weapons, where they found a purpose and ideals to drive them. They smiled, and knocked to the main door. There always was a priest watching if there was someone who was in need, even at night. They saw the door open, and entered the sacred place, muttering a prayer to the Gods, then turned to face the priest.

"This is… Quite an advanced state…"

"I know… I ran from The Tower of Fate to here in order to be cured. Can you… Do this, even in my current… State?"

The priest frowned at the sight of the Bellhammer.

"So you're the one who calls themselves the Inquisition."

"Inquisitor but… Yes."

"I suppose that it was the Enchantress herself that cursed you… Come with me to the back. I'm not able to cure you by myself."

The Bell Inquisitor followed the priest who opened the door of one of the healing chambers. There was several of these here, and they already had some occasions to visit those, especially when they messed with the wildlife during their "training". All of the priests knew of their existence, but no one actually knew something about them.

The group of priest was surprised by their sudden arrival, and most of the glares they earned were filled with fear and pity. One of them made them sit on a chair, and tried to take the weapon.

"I'm sorry but… I prefer to keep it if you don't mind."

"Hum… Yes, of course… Anyway, we need to see your chest. Would you open your robe please?"

The Inquisitor slowly undone the buttons, but without lowering the collar. The priests flinched, and one of them approached them, his fingers tracing the dilated black veins reaching the heart. The look of worry in his eyes increased, and asked for a needle, and turned back to the Inquisitor while he waited for the item.

"For how long have you been you cursed?"

"I… The Enchantress said that she had rewarded me with a delayed curse."

"How much time?"

"It… It's been 43 days…"

"The… The needle you requested…"

The priest took the items between his fingers and planted it in the Inquisitor's right arm. They clenched the Bellhammer harder when they felt the cold tool penetrate through the skin, and then be removed, dripping with black blood.

"Urk… I didn't know that I was already black…"

"The needle… The silver turned purple."

The look of the priests became heavier, and the Bell Inquisitor suddenly felt worry rise in their chest. Why these looks? They still had two days. They could still be cured, right? Their time wasn't up yet. So, why?

"Bell Inquisitor… We… We can't cure you… The curse already reached your heart and…"

"But why? I'm… I'm still human and sane… So why? I still have 2 days now…"

"Once you're tainted… If the veins reach the heart, it's over. The heart reaches everything and thus… Your whole body is now affected and… There's no more curse to lift. If you're still holding on now… It's because of the time you were given… And your willpower."

"But…"

"She told you that you had 45 days, but never told you before what. She didn't told you about in how much time the curse would infect your body."

"But… When?"

"We're sorry, but you have to leave this place."

"What? And what about killing me twice? Once for the Undeath and the second to free me?!"

The Bell Inquisitor had gotten up and closed their robe, hiding the markings of the curse. They clenched their weapon even tighter now, and behind their mask, they couldn't decide if they had to be surprised, angry or sad.

"A transformation curse with such a long time to twist the body, isn't one made to punish or make of you a mere monster…"

"Oh yes? AND WHAT DO I HAVE TO BE TURNED INTO _MORE_ THAN A MONSTER?!"

Everything crashed down around them. They just wanted to do the right thing! Why was the Fate against them?! Couldn't the priests simply kill them so they wouldn't be burdened anymore and harm anyone? What was their role in this story now? Was that it? Was that all they could do? They refused to believe it. They made it this far, they couldn't afford to give up now on their humanity and sanity.

"She cursed you, not to become a powerful undead or a unique monster… She wants you to become a Sentient."

"SHE WANTS WHAT?! BUT I'M NOT EVEN A KNIGHT OR ANYTHING! I'M NOT EVEN WILLING TO DO ANYTHING FOR HER!"

"Please Inquisitor. Get out of the Temple. If you're losing it here, you might hurt more than you know, and we all know that it's not what you desire. Run into the Swamp… And maybe that she won't find you here. You still have a chance, not to stay human, but to stay free. You must believe us…"

"I… I think I can't trust you now but… Deep down I know that you're right. Very well then… Brothers, I bid you farewell. May the Yacht Gods guide your way."

"May they guide your way too Inquisitor. And good luck."

They stepped out of the Temple, and looked one last time at the Mirall. It might be the last time after all. The Dark Swamp was waiting for them, waiting for them to become one of it's abominations. It didn't mattered anymore. The only thing that was driving them now was their own despair. Dragging themselves further into the unknown, they didn't cared about the beasts attacking from all sides, and simply killed them without question. They screamed when the wings changed their shape, becoming the ones of dragon, and with their flesh dividing and finally getting a better shape to fly; but stayed silent when the tail sprouted from their back. When a larger beast attacked him, they didn't knew if they had to give up...

And the monster died, disintegrated by an explosion of pure darkness. The half-Sentient was stronger, and still mutating. They howled more than they screamed, and rays of pure darkness were summoned around them, destroying any kind of lifeform. But why did they fought now? For what reason?

They shook their head. It didn't mattered now. The only reason that was keeping them going was the safety of others. They couldn't afford to finish their transformation too close to the humans, but they couldn't afford to die either, the wicked magic able to resurrect them as an Undead heresy.

* * *

45th day

The Inquisitor leaned against a rock and slowly slipped to the ground. They knew it was over now. They were far enough from the Temple and any kind of civilization, and soon, they wouldn't be able to hold back the beast in them. They would become a Sentient, and their mere presence could give birth to a new kind of monsters… Their lips quivered. They didn't want that. They weren't ready to accept their fate yet. What would happen now?

And for the first time during their journey, they cried. They felt their tears leaking from behind the metallic mask and roll on their cheeks, falling on the inside of the collar. Clutching their Bellhammer tightly, they felt the scales slowly growing on their skin, unable to stop it. The last Echo they learned, the devastating Holy Wave was useless now that they were fully turning into a monster. Even their own Despair had turned into a massive destruction weapon now. They gritted their teeth at the idea of letting go…

" _Ah… Look at you now. You're powerful now… Doesn't that pleases you?"_

The Bell Inquisitor looked at the Enchantress that had appeared before them. They didn't answer to her, and would never do it now. Floating above the ground, she slowly removed their hat, mask and collar; the half-Sentient unable to move and too focused on holding "themselves" back. They knew they could lash out now, but they couldn't win anyway, so there was no point in doing that, except giving her what she wanted. They looked at her, their eyes filled with a fierce determination. A determination to hold the beast back the longer they could, a determination to stay human, and alive.

"I won't… Give up so easily… Before my Fate…"

The Enchantress looked at their face, now uncovered. The person struggling before her eyes was still young, maybe in their late twenties or early thirties? Their skin was pale, surely a consequence of never exposing anything to the sunlight, and even if their face and hair were covered in sweat and dirt, they still looked pretty enough to seduce someone easily, like Propeller Knight. Pure silver eyes looked at her, so very human as their body kept on transforming, and as their horns continued to grow, piercing their unkempt and messy black hair.

" _A Sentient, is what I desire at every Age. You were destined to become one, either by my hand or the hand of Fate. But don't worry…"_

The wind briefly blew at the Inquisitor's face, and before they could even realize what was happening, their Bellhammer had been taken by the Enchantress as well as their hat, and they were chained, the upper part of their robe undone. They didn't knew where she had taken their most treasured items, but they shivered when she traced her finger against the black veins on their bare chest.

" _Such power, but such a resistance… Well, it looks like I don't have any other choice now."_

The light was dim, and when they turned their head, trying to not look at her, they saw that their arms were chained behind their back, and that they were in an enormous room, and it seemed to be underground when they smelled the faint fragrance of fresh dirt and humidity… They heard an another crack, and they knew that this was their only chance now.

They stopped struggling and let the beast take over, twisting the body, making it grow unnaturally and finally; roar. They weren't human anymore. They had become a Sentient.

* * *

The silver dragon stood before her, their red wings still folded and the veins on their chest pulsing with a bright purple light. Their mouth glowed for a moment, and then they fired their lasers. The cell became incandescent and purple, while the beast was trying to tear down the walls around it, and destroy the Enchantress with it.

Chains shot up around them, and suddenly, binded them. Their legs, tail, wings, horns and neck, nothing escaped the binding. An another chain muzzled them, and despite their fierce resistance, they were unable to free themselves. They pulled and protested, but what they earned was only pain. The chains were searing into his skin, burning.

" _What a bad dog… But don't worry. I'm going to take care of everything."_

They couldn't scream anymore. Their mouth was kept shut by the chains, as well as the rest of their body.

They could only cry now, mourning for their lost humanity and wicked Fate. They could only cry now, pain becoming a constant thing. They could only cry, for the lives they tried to protect, yet destroyed now.

They could only cry.

* * *

 **And that's it! I'm currently trying to write the story for after the fall of the Tower, but know that I won't try to publish anything if the story isn't finished. So that's why you're not going to have it now. Don't forget to leave a review or send me a pm, it can help me!**

 **Thank you for reading this!**


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